Sunday, January 10, 2010

The Transformational Power of Art , Sleep & Headings

I do recommend them. I feel almost, but not quite, Official. Or perhaps Professional.

Or Organised. Like I've planned ahead.

And maybe I have.

Art & Me

And look at how Seamlessly the simple heading allows me to segue from one topic to the next!

Last week while I was toiling in my ArtRoom, I was listening on the radio to an interview with John Kaldor, Australia's Most Generous Contemporary Art Patron. It seems that just about every major Museum in Sydney (if not the rest of the country) is awash with Dear John's taste in Modern Art. He absolutely adores that Major Wrapper, Christo who came to Sydney back in '69 to wrap up a piece of our coastline. You may recall that a few years ago Christo & his now sadly deceased wife, Jeanne Something did something special to Central Park in NYC & called it 'The Gates'.

Anyway, the Slobbering Interviewer earnestly asked John what his definition of Art was.

I immediately Picked up my Ears. Or is it 'Pricked up My Ears'?

And he said 'Art is Transforming What We Take for Granted'.

I must admit that I'm a sucker for anything with the word 'Transform' in it. So I liked it.

And in fact, I liked it soo much that I made this little Homage to John's Words.

You may be wondering who is the Sturdy Lass with the pith helmet sitting astride the Dwarf Rhinoceros.

She is an almost forgotten Australian writer called Eve Langley. Her most famous book is called 'The Pea Pickers', which I think is an inspired title. Of course I haven't read it.

I just love the picture of Poor Eve, who I think had rather a tragic life.

Rather like my own life really. Earlier this evening, a close friend of mine rang & merrily referred to both of us as 'War Widows'. I roared with laughter.

The Art of Sleep

I've been slightly following Arianna of The Huffington Post's 2010 Sleep Challenge. As I've mentioned, she's challenging the Poor Underslept Women of America to get more sleep.

I, of course am Well Ahead of the game as I created my Own Sleep Challenge last year with the imposition of a Strict Bedtime Regime & a ban on my Mobile Phone in the bedroom.

Of course, truckloads of people have been writing v. long comments to Arianna's blog posts. Everyone's got their own v. special Helpful Hint (s) about how to grow more sleep.

Magnesium is a hot favourite.

And of course , Coffee. Every time I read the Readers' Comments, I feel slightly guilty. There's always someone who can tell you something awful. Like how poor peasants in Developing Countries are being starved to death because they're being forced to grow useless crops like coffee instead of real food because Selfish Over-Stuffed People like Me have an insatiable desire to sip lattes all day.

Mr Badger is Poster Boy for Sleep

I love 'Wind in the Willows'. And I still have my copy that I was given in Christmas '60. Which is where these illustrations come from.

My favourite part was when Mole went wandering off to the Wild Wood & got into a Terrible Pickle but then was rescued by Ratty who found the brass name plate of Mr Badger's house in the nick of time.

Badger was just hopping into bed when they knocked at his door. He good-naturedly got out of bed & filled them up with all sorts of food until they nearly exploded. And then he took them down a number of passages to the Spare Bedroom where two beds with spotlessly clean white linen sheets scented with lavender were nestled in between large sacks of tempting winter stores.

Yes, Janavi, I was quite surprised myself. There was an obituary in the Sydney newspaper, The Sydney Morning Herald a little while ago. Probably within the last month or two. She & Christo were kind of known here because they wrapped up a little parcel of the Sydney coast.